THE MEDITERRANEAN ANTI-CANCER DIET

Conner Middelmann-Whitney

Reviews

"There are thousands of recipe books for sale, advertizing mouth-watering meals with glossy photographs. Zest for Life is not an enticement for succulent cuisine through glossy photographs. It is much better. Integrating food into a practical life-style, it formulates proven combinations of foods that are not only good for you, but will entice you to create a culture of mealtimes that are appetizing and will enhance your physical and mental health. Zest for Life teaches you some basic science-based principles of nutrition and leads you through some delicious recipes. Your only responsibility is to transform your reading into action; follow the recipes; you will have fun and feel healthy. What's more, your family will thank you for it. Your whole family will embrace meals as part of life and realize that life is part of meals. Zest for Life is for all ages. It is never too late to learn good nutrition and enjoy both the preparation and eating of your meals. "
- Professor Stephen Sagar, Department of Oncology, McMaster University, Canada; www.stephensagar.com.

"As an integrative oncologist, I firmly believe in the importance of consuming as many 'anti-cancer' foods as possible in our diet. Zest for Life is an excellent reference for anyone who wants to learn about how the foods we eat contribute to our overall health and the prevention of cancer. Zest for Life discusses the science on how the Mediterranean diet protects against the DNA damaging effects of inflammation and oxidation, provides dietary tips to help mitigate some of the untoward side effects of cancer treatment, and shares practical food shopping guidelines to help us buy the best ingredients and not break the bank as we prepare easy to follow and tasty Mediterranean recipes. Conner Middelmann-Whitney is an inspirational Mediterranean diet expert and chef. The pages of her book are filled with passion, clarity, and fun. This is a fantastic reference for my patients, and so well-written that it should be easy for everyone to follow. With enthusiasm, I highly recommend Zest for Life."
- Brian Lawenda, MD, integrative oncologist at 21st Century Oncology, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; www.integrativeoncology-essentials.com

"More than a cookbook, Zest for Life, Mediterranean Anti-Cancer Diet , is an indispensable guide to the many powerful health benefits of the Mediterranean diet. The food is anti-inflammatory, nutrient-rich and delicious. Definitely worth the effort to prepare.I recommend Zest for Life to cancer patients I coach."
- Glenn Sabin, Founder of FON Therapeutics, a consultancy to evidence-based integrative medicine/oncology centers for and an integrative oncology research incubator. He is a member of the Board of the Society for Integrative Oncology (SIO) and 21-year cancer “thriver”; www.glennsabin.com.

Zest for Life follows the tenets of an anti-cancer diet and provides practical and tasty ways of increasing our intake of plant-based whole foods. It is essential that we move toward a plant-based diet, and Zest for Life is a useful book for nutritional education and healthful recipes.
- Lorenzo Cohen, PhD, Professor and Director of the Integrative Medicine Program at MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas.

"A key message of Zest for Life is that the Mediterranean diet is more than the sum of several components. It includes cultural and lifestyle aspects that favorably affect the risk of several cancers, but also have wider implications on our health. Overweight and obesity, for instance, have not increased in France or Italy over the last three decades, and this has wider implications than cancer risk. An additional interesting aspect of Zest for Life is that it integrates the components of the various diets in the Mediterranean with other healthy foods worldwide, such as tofu or avocados."
- Carlo La Vecchia, professor of Epidemiology, school of Medicine, University of Milan; www.marionegri.it.

"Eating is often perceived as an act designed only to "refuel" the body with energy, described often in terms of calories and vitamins. Unfortunately this mindset might be detrimental to our health. Instead we should begin viewing food also as a way to preserve and enhance our health! Research indicates that a healthy diet can be very beneficial for many people diagnosed with cancer, or those seeking to prevent cancer. Certain foods possess therapeutic properties including anticancer compounds that occur naturally in these foods. Current research suggests that about 30% of cancers are related to nutrition. People affected by cancer are looking for guidance as far as what foods to eat and how to prepare these healthy food options. Unfortunately there are very few resources that support that need. Conner Middelmann-Whitney approaches this topic in a practical way in “Zest for Life,” a wonderful guide for people looking to enhance their nutrition as another tool to increase their defense against cancer. This book is divided into two sections. The first, explains the science behind nutrition as a tool to prevent cancer. The second part provides over 150 great recipes and ideas on how to move from the science to the practicalities of making these healthy food options. As an integrative physician providing practical advice to patients and families affected by cancer about healthy options that they can integrate in their care, I see this book as a great resource for information and help in addressing some of the nutritional questions that patients bring.
- Moshe Frenkel MD, Chair of The Israeli Society of Complementary Medicine, Clinical Associate Professor University of Texas, Founder of the Integrative Oncology Clinic in MD Anderson Cancer Center, Chair of Clinical Practice Committee of The Society for Integrative Oncology; www.moshefrenkelmd.com

“Ms. Middelmann-Whitney is no wacko claiming you can cure your cancer with the right diet modifications. She writes, "...I do not advocate food as a cancer treatment once the disease has declared itself...". Some interesting things I learned were 1) the 10 most dangerous foods to eat while driving, 2) the significance of organized religion in limiting meat consumption in some Mediterranean regions, 3) we probably eat too many omega-6 fatty acids, moving the omega-6/omega-3 ratio away from the ideal of 2:1 or 3:1, 4) one reason nitrites are added to processed meats is to create an pleasing red color (they impair bacterial growth, too), 5) fresh herbs are better added towards the end of cooking, whereas dried herbs can be added earlier, 6) 57% of calories in western societies are largely "empty calories:" refined sugar, flour, and industrially processed vegetable oils, and 7) refined sugar consumption in the U.S. was 11 lb (5 kg) in the 1830s, rising to 155 lb (70 kg) by 2000. I recommend this book to all adults, particularly for those with a strong family history of cancer. But following the author's recommendations would do more than lower your risk of cancer. You'd likely have a longer lifespan, lose some excess fat weight, and lower your risk of type 2 diabetes, dementia, heart disease, stroke, obesity, and vision loss from macular degeneration. Particularly compared to the standard American diet. What are you waiting for? Let's get cookin'!"
- Steve Parker, MD, Phoenix, Arizona; www.diabeticmediterraneandiet.com

"Zest for Life provides discovery and learning critical to understanding why poor eating habits may lead to cancer and other illnesses and is so logical in its content, that you’ll have one of those “Oh, my gosh”-moments as you realize it makes so much sense. Conner Middelmann-Whitney gives us glimpses into her personal life that add humor and a humanistic approach to following her roadmap when confronting the problem of nutritional deficits. The book is easy to read and organized in such a fashion that it can be used as a ready reference to help us select, acquire and prepare nutritious, healthy, anti-cancer meals with a minimum of time, expense and frustration. Of course, these are the most common excuses we hear in our medical practice: “I don’t know what to buy,” “I don’t have the time to get all of that stuff and fix it,” or “I can’t afford to eat healthy foods.” Conner will help debunk these common myths and will touch your heart and stimulate the inner-you; the part of you that secretly wants to be healthy, wants to live a long and prosperous life and wants your family to be just as lucky. If you are going to invest in one book about nutrition-healthy eating this year, then this should be the book. Zest for Life will be an investment on your entire family’s good health and longevity. As I tell my patients-“You become what you eat-no more and no less!”
- Frank Barnhill, MD, Gaffney, SC; www.drhuggiebear.com